SYDNEY: An novice pilot had been celebrating with colleagues earlier than he “misappropriated” a helicopter and fatally crashed into the roof of an Australian resort, his employer stated on Tuesday (Aug 13).
Tons of of patrons had been evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton within the tropical vacationer hub of Cairns on Monday morning after the twin-engine helicopter crashed, igniting a fiery explosion on the resort roof.
The pilot was killed within the accident, whereas two patrons staying within the resort had been handled for minor accidents.
The helicopter belonged to luxurious constitution firm Nautilus Aviation, which stated it had employed the person in a “floor crew place”.
Nautilus Aviation stated the person “gained unauthorised entry to our helicopter hangar and misappropriated considered one of our helicopters”.
Hours earlier than the crash, the person had been celebrating at a personal send-off earlier than transferring to take up one other place inside the firm, Nautilus Aviation stated.
Though the pilot was licensed to fly helicopters in New Zealand, he had by no means flown earlier than in Australia.
